This volume is impressive in many ways, including its state-of-the art coverage of the field, the scope and depth of the material reviewed, and its engaging and accessible style of delivery. The book is divided into 10 chapters that cover a range of content areas that are fairly typical of most introductory SLA texts, such as age, crosslinguistic influences, linguistic environment, cognition, development of learner language, foreign language aptitude, motivation, affect and other individual differences, and social dimensions of second-language (L2) learning. However, this volume stands out in several ways. First and foremost is the cutting-edge nature of the material within the chapters. This is not only because the most recent work in SLA is represented but also because more attention is given to domains of theoretical and empirical work that have been less represented in previous introductory texts. This includes a substantial review and discussion of recent work in cognitive neuroscience, specifically research on working memory; an up-to-date discussion of social perspectives in SLA, including, for example, an extended review of conversational analysis; and an exceptional treatment of the most recent theoretical and empirical work on individual learner differences, particularly in the areas of aptitude and motivation. Indeed, Ortega has devoted several chapters, impressive both in their scope and detail, to individual learner factors. Another distinguishing feature of the book, which may come as a surprise to some readers, is the absence of a chapter with an exclusive focus on linguistic perspectives. This is probably because the book has been written primarily for students of applied linguistics rather than for students taking linguistics-based SLA courses. It may also be a reflection of the fact that linguistic influences are ubiquitous in SLA. Thus, instead of a single chapter devoted to linguistics and SLA in general, the relevant theoretical and empirical work is covered across several chapters in relation to those specific areas in which linguistics has played a particularly important role (see, e.g., chapters 2, 3, and 6).

For those who have taught introductory SLA courses for quite some time, one of the valuable features of this volume is the way in which the material is organized and presented. In every chapter, there are at least one or two studies described in detail—often presented in tables or blocked text—and followed by analysis and commentary. The detailed descriptions provide the reader with a comprehensive overview of an illustrative study, and the analysis and commentary situate the study within the broader context of questions and issues discussed in each chapter. This manner of presentation would be particularly effective in a survey course, in which the general often wins out over the specific. Students in an introductory SLA course in which this book was used greatly appreciated the end-of-chapter summaries presented in user-friendly bulleted segments as well as the annotated bibliographies that also appear at the end of chapters and include useful tips and insightful commentary about additional readings. Adding to the book’s strength is its internal coherence—the result of explicit links made between chapters to indicate how one area of theory or research in SLA is connected to, builds on, or contrasts with another. Additionally, there are several themes that weave in and out of the chapters, which enhances the interconnectedness of the volume. Among these are the interdisciplinary nature of SLA, the necessity of avoiding a monolingual bias in SLA research, and the recognition of what Ortega refers to as the unbearable inelectability of the social context.

Although students expressed a few minor quibbles about the book, including the absence of a glossary, and a desire for review of more instructed SLA studies, the strengths of this book cannot be overstated. The inclusion of innovative and, in some instances, less conventional perspectives on SLA give the book a strong sense of the present and the future of an evolving field while providing thorough coverage and analysis of foundational work in SLA. This volume is sure to soon become a standard SLA text in the field of applied linguistics.